The Role of Seizure Response Dogs in Epilepsy Support

Seizure response dogs have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of injury or death during seizures. They can detect changes in a person's behavior and alert others to a potential seizure.

These dogs are trained to provide physical support during and after seizures, helping to keep the person safe and comfortable. They can also provide emotional support and comfort to those living with epilepsy.

Seizure response dogs are typically trained to respond to a person's seizure by lying on top of them to prevent injury, and can also be trained to fetch medication or alert others for help.

Related reading: Conditioned Emotional Response Dog Training

Seizure response dogs are incredibly skilled and can perform a variety of tasks to help their owners during a seizure. These tasks may include barking to alert bystanders, standing next to their owner to break their fall, and lying next to their owner to provide comfort and protection.

You might like: Tasks That Service Dogs Perform

Some seizure response dogs are also trained to press alarm buttons or other pre-programmed devices to call for help. They can even help their owners get up and walk to a safe place before or after a seizure. In addition to these tasks, SRDs can retrieve dropped items, help remove clothing, and open and close doors.

SRDs may also be trained to turn lights on and off, and retrieve a phone prior to a seizure, if their owner instructs them to do so. These dogs are more than just assistants, they provide a constant source of unconditional love, companionship, and support.

Here are some specific tasks that SRDs may perform:

By performing these tasks, seizure response dogs can significantly improve their owner's quality of life and provide them with a sense of independence and security.

A seizure response dog can make a huge difference in the life of someone with epilepsy. These dogs are trained to respond to seizures in three key ways.

The first way is that they can alert others, protect the person, and help them recover from the seizure. As one client put it, "The service dog gives me an overall sense of security and independence."

The second way is that they can alert to seizures before they even happen. Scientists have found that the physiology of the handler before a seizure causes them to smell differently to the dog, allowing the dog to detect the impending seizure.

Having a seizure response dog can greatly improve the quality of life for the handler. New studies show that the presence of the dog can have a significant impact on the handler's overall well-being.

Here are the three key ways a seizure response dog can help:

If you're interested in getting an epilepsy service dog, you'll need to inquire through a registered organization.

People with epilepsy who would like a service dog will need to enquire through a registered organization.

The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation lists the following organizations that provide trained epilepsy service dogs:

Obtaining an epilepsy service dog can be a life-changing experience for individuals with epilepsy. To get started, you'll need to inquire through a registered organization.

There are several organizations that provide trained epilepsy service dogs, including 4 Paws for Ability, Canine Assistants, Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, and many others. These organizations are listed by the Defeating Epilepsy Foundation (DEF).

If you're interested in obtaining an epilepsy service dog, it's essential to research and reach out to these organizations directly. They can provide you with more information on their application process and what to expect.

If you're lucky, you might even find a service dog that's already been trained to alert you to seizures. However, this is not a guaranteed outcome, and it's essential to be prepared for the possibility that your service dog may not have this specific skill.

Seizure alert dogs, also known as SADs, are dogs that demonstrate specific behavior prior to a person's epileptic seizure. However, reports suggest that this ability has been questioned.

Related reading: Medical Alert Dog Training

If you're living with a child or adult with epilepsy, you might notice that their dog is exhibiting seizure response and seizure alerting behavior. This can be a remarkable and heartwarming experience.

Here are some organizations that provide trained epilepsy service dogs:

As you prepare to welcome an Epilepsy Service Dog (ESD) into your life, it's essential to understand your rights as an owner. You have the right to take your ESD into all areas of a business or establishment that allows public access.

Under the American Disabilities Act, this includes state and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. For example, you can take your ESD into a hospital patient room or examination room.

You cannot be subject to isolation from other patrons, which means you can sit with your ESD in a restaurant or movie theater. You also cannot be treated less favorably compared to other patrons. This means you won't be asked to leave a store because of your ESD.

Here are some key places where you have the right to take your ESD:

Additionally, you cannot be charged fees that don't apply to other patrons without service animals. This includes deposits or fees that apply to patrons with pets that are not service animals.

Related reading: How to Make Dogs Service Animals

The cost of a seizure response dog can be a significant consideration for many people. The cost of an epilepsy support dog generally ranges from $15,000 to $30,000, but can be as high as $50,000.

Some organizations, however, provide service dogs free of charge, such as PWAC, which receives funding through individual donations. The cost of breeding, raising, training, and placing one of their assistance dogs exceeds $35,000.

Receiving a service dog from an organization like PWAC may come with a request to consider hosting a personal campaign to benefit another client on the waiting list for a dog. This is not a requirement, but rather a way to give back to the community.

Our approach to training seizure response dogs is centered around providing a safe and supportive environment for handlers. We don't ask handlers to stop taking their medication, which can be a huge relief for those who rely on their medication to manage their seizures.

We focus on training the dog to be very attentive to their handler, and to respond to seizures by setting up protocols to bond the dog to the handler. This approach has been shown to be effective in improving the quality of life for handlers.

Research has shown that dogs can discriminate between seizure odors and other bodily odors, with a high sensitivity and specificity. This means that dogs can potentially detect seizures before they happen.

We train the dog to be intensely focused on the handler, and to develop the ability to alert to seizures on their own. This approach has been found to work the best for handlers, and is a key part of our seizure response dog training program.

For another approach, see: Dog Diseases That Cause Seizures